germophobe

noun

germ·o·phobe | \ ˈjər-mə-ˌfōb

How to pronounce germophobe (audio)

\

variants: or germaphobe

plural germophobes or germaphobes

Definition of germophobe

: a person who has an abnormal fear of germs or contamination : one affected with germophobia No wonder germophobes—including me—are on high alert, viewing every surface as a potentially lethal petri dish.— Laura Landro The stone's actual powers are debatable, but one thing's for sure—the Blarney Stone is a germaphobe's nightmare.— Catherine Prince

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Other Words from germophobe

germophobic \ ˌjər-mə-ˈfō-bik

\ or germaphobic adjective

In a sometimes germophobic society, we spend countless hours and dollars disinfecting surfaces, washing our hands, and taking antibiotics to keep unwelcome bacteria, fungi, and viruses at bay. — Jan Suszkiw

Examples of germophobe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Trump is a famous germophobe, but, more important, Secret Service agents fall into the category of human beings about whom Donald Trump cares the least: other people. — Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, "Circling the Drain," 15 Jan. 2021 The main concern for Dahl, who freely calls himself a germophobe, is his employees' health and safety. — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, "Why downtown Phoenix's favorite art bar is reopening on Election Day 2020," 3 Nov. 2020 All gathered Trump supporters, largely maskless, tightly packed together, and yet the president -- a habitual germophobe even before the pandemic -- always emerged unscathed. — Josh Wingrove, Bloomberg.com, "Trump Tempted Fate Long Before Rose Garden Coronavirus Cluster," 4 Oct. 2020 His voice may carry extra weight in the COVID-19 era, because Mandel is well known as a handshake-avoiding germophobe. — Bill Keveney, USA TODAY, "'AGT': As Simon Cowell sits out, germophobe Howie Mandel talks 'moon'-like COVID-19 rules for live shows," 10 Aug. 2020 The rom-com and debut feature from Taiwan’s Liao Ming-Yi was filmed entirely using an iPhone XS and features two soulmates—a girl who is a germophobe and a guy who is almost constantly washing his hands. — Angela Watercutter, Wired, "So, Tom Cruise Really Is Shooting a Movie in Space," 28 May 2020 Even the untidy among us have become germophobes, incessantly washing our hands and wiping down surfaces. — Peter Fimrite, SFChronicle.com, "Because of coronavirus we’re doing things differently. How long will that last?," 15 Mar. 2020 Thrill seekers or germophobes, there is a water park for everyone in Central Indiana. — Dwight Adams, Indianapolis Star, "Here's what you need to know to prevent drownings," 13 June 2018 Anchor Michael Che dismissed Trump’s claim of being a germophobe by citing the president’s relations with hookers. — Hal Boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'SNL': Robert De Niro channels Robert Mueller," 15 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'germophobe.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

21 Jan 2021

Cite this Entry

“Germophobe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/germophobe. Accessed 2 Mar. 2021.

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